


hue

by plebbless



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, also things might seem a bit rushed i’m sorry, but i like colours so i’ll keep it like that, i honestly have no idea what’s going on with lance’s colour thing, it’s lance’s pov btw, keith is deaf, oh there’s like only two swears pls don’t sue me, this was for a school assignment and i had a word limit :(
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-19 06:39:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15504522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plebbless/pseuds/plebbless
Summary: Sometimes, want becomes need.





	hue

A shrill bell rang out through the school building, signalling the start of a new school day. The ringing reverberated throughout the thin walls that separated classrooms from each other, large enough to fit a small group of students and a teacher, but no more than that. Sat at my desk that was hastily thrown in the back of the classroom, I lay sprawled over the desk, gazing out of the window and focusing on the large cherry blossom tree just outside, pale pink petals falling swiftly to the ground at a leisurely pace. The sight was entrancing.

"Good morning class." The sharp voice of my teacher cut through the chatter that filled the room and ricocheted off the bare walls. Everything was silent. Everything lost my interest. Colour just disappeared, like someone had just sucked the life out of everything in my sight. But amidst all that, it didn’t quite feel the same. I soon found out why. Beside the teacher, there was someone else. Something different.

"Class, we have a new student who just transferred here today. Would you like to introduce yourself?" The boy stood silently, watching the teacher speaking closely. Only when she turned to face him did he react, a quick flinch, but if you weren’t paying close enough attention, it’d be over in a blink of an eye. Momentarily, the world was silent, as if a switch had been flicked. Guess whoever was playing with the switch didn’t like change, and the new student finally spoke up.

"... Keith." Was all that he managed to say, before falling back into silence. Smiling kindly back at Keith, the teacher turned back to scan the room, her piercing hues eyeing us almost maliciously, although I’m sure that wasn’t the intention. Her eyes stopped on me as she caught me daydreaming, raising a badly drawn-on eyebrow.

"Lance. Since you obviously have the time to not listen to me and daydream, you can look after Keith as he gets to know the school." I jerk up in disbelief and burn a glare deep into her, who gives me a smug look in return, as the rest of the class tries and fails to hold back their laughter, occasional giggles escaping.

"That's not fair! Why do I get stuck with babysitting?!" I retaliate, slamming my palms flat on the wooden desk as I stood up in outrage. With an offended expression plastered on her face, the teacher was prepared to bounce back on my statement, a chillingly calm tone to her sharp words.

"Excuse me? Watch your mouth, young man. And apologise at once to Keith." I decided to save my breath instead of wasting my precious oxygen on this teacher who clearly had no intention of listening; I was already drawing too much attention to myself. Under the watchful glare of the teacher, I sat myself down with a loud huff, grimacing when I eventually looked up at her, regretting my decision almost instantly; her face was more smug than humanly possible. And it drove me insane.

Oh right, apologies.

“Sorry.” Keith’s eyes softened sympathetically.

The switch turned off again, not because no one was talking, but because I didn’t want to listen.

———

After the lesson, I was quite forcibly made to interact with the new kid. Why should I have to look after a stranger anyway? Was he not capable of adapting to his new surroundings? As much as I complained, I figured there was no point in giving it too much thought and making the situation worse for myself.

“Suck it up Lance.”

I shot a quick glance over in the direction of my responsibility. He was still sat in his seat, packing away his things, his eyes fixated on the items in front of him. I made my way up to him.

"Hey." I said lightly. There was no response from the other. Slightly pissed, I tried again, waving my hand in front of Keith’s face.

"Hellooooooo?" I said, finally catching his attention. He looked up at me with tired eyes, and a thin line drawn across his face. Having packed up everything, Keith was now stood up, looking at me curiously. This gave me the chance to examine who I was sticking around with for perhaps the next week, give or take. 

Keith. Soft dark hair that reached his shoulders, almost resembling a mullet-like hairstyle. There was no disagreement that the hairstyle didn't suit him nevertheless. Pale-ish skin that clearly said ‘I don’t know what a skincare routine is and I don’t care’ and a well-shaped face, and he was only shorter by a slight difference. Keith wore his school uniform as tidily as possible. Hah, typical first day vibes. It took Lance back to his first day. So happy to be learning, so organised and ready to be the perfect student.

Oh, how things change.

~~

He wasn't sure of his name, but he was quite tall; around half a head taller than him. His tanned, bronze skin glistened in the piercing sunlight that shone through the glass windows, his brown, slightly curly hair resting against the back of his neck. He wore the standard school uniform, although it had been slightly altered for his own comfort, giving him quite the rustled look. 

Looking back up at Lance, he noticed that his lips were moving, that implied that the other was speaking. He watched the other's movements carefully. 

~~

I became puzzled as to why the other was so fixated on my lips, as if examining every movement. It kinda weirded me out, my words ceasing into a quiet mumble. I found that when I stopped speaking, Keith's attention woukd eventually drift back to me in general, rather than just fixated on one part of me. Not sure why but it made me squirm under my skin, an indescribable feeling creeping up my spine. Tossing those thoughts aside, I made my way to the door, and looked back at Keith, silently signalling for him to follow along. Keith did as he was told.

———

Leading the other down the plain white corridor, silence overwhelmed the pair of us as no words were exchanged. Even if I attempted to say anything, there would be no response, as we continued on silently. It was as if he had completely disregarded my existence, despite having to follow my every step.

It was then when I was finally relieved of the silence, as my two friends passed us. They waved at me, stopping just in front of us as we approached them. Keith only noticed at the last second and fortunately for both me and him, avoided a light collision with my back and his face. Realising how close he was in proximity, he stepped back, and stayed right there, hidden behind me. 

"Hey Lance!" The larger male said, a wide grin on his face. A quiet chuckle was my response to their simple greeting. Another voice rang out from beside them. 

"Who's the shy one?" She asked tentatively, tilting to the side to peer behind me, her eyes meeting Keith's. Upon sensing an intimidating gaze on him, Keith looked up, and his eyes grew wide, before he averted them quickly. She seemed to get the hint that the other was more than just a bit uncomfortable, and stood back up straight. Deciding on sparing Keith his unnecessary humiliation, I remained stood stock-still, my feet firmly planted in place on the tiled floor, hands shoved in my pockets nonchalantly.

“Oh that's Keith.” A deliberate pause for emphasis, allowing me time, albeit very little time, to quickly glance behind me and check on the person behind me. He seemed antsy, like he just wanted to remove himself from this scenario and maybe from this life, but other than that, he was probably okay; I could've put him in a worse situation. “He's new here. And quite shy too.” I continued on, hoping that the attention on Keith would be directed at me instead. He didn’t deserve it.

My friends later introduced themselves to the new student as Hunk and Katie. As we talked and made our way to the dining area, the formation of our group of four changed drastically, with me shifting forwards and in between Hunk and Katie, leaving Keith trailing behind the three of us silently, looking at everything except us. Attempts were made by Hunk and Katie to interact with Keith and include him in our conversations, however it was to no avail; it was simply as if he couldn't hear them. 

I found it quite irritating to have Keith present in my spare time, and so I purposely tried to avoid all interactions with him and exclude him. It had an impact on some occasions, but only physical exclusion seemed to do exactly what I wanted. I had very little close friends, despite being quite popular, particularly with the girls if I did say so myself. Yet I didn't want to lose the two people closest to me to the new student who had only existed in this school for about two hours. Scheming silently, I dramatically threw my arms in the air and placed them on the shoulders of those beside me, pretending to be resting against them. Neither of the two were complaining from the extra weight they now had to carry, and Keith wasn't complaining either, not that it mattered to me at all. After turning my head back to see that Keith was looking downwards, I began to pick up the speed at which I walked at, ultimately dragging the others along with me; the distance between the three friends and the outsider growing with every paced step. 

———

A while after I had distanced ourselves from Keith, I shot a quick glance behind me; Keith was nowhere to be seen. No longer under the pressure of their presence, I slowed down, causing Hunk and Katie, who had been in deep conversation since I had sped up, to look back at me. 

"Where did Keith go? Oh no, did we lose him?!" A panicked shriek echoed against the walls of the bare corridors, Hunk placing both hands on his cheeks in despair, as if slapping himself. Katie remained indifferent, however, their eyebrow had arched to form an accusing expression directed at me. I could only shrug, breaking eye contact with Katie. 

Maybe that was a little cruel of me.

My mind agreed with my heart momentarily, and I took a brief glance down both ends of the corridor, as if the other would just magically reappear phasing through a wall or something. Keith was still, as expected, nowhere to be seen. 

“Maybe I walked too fast. My legs are quite long after all.” I rambled out, my sweating hand pressed firmly against the back of my neck and a sheepish smile on my face. Hunk seemed to buy my blatant lie, yet Katie kept their expression from before, continuing their silent inquisition on how I really felt about the situation. One thing’s for sure, they wouldn't get an answer from me. None of my thoughts were meeting ends.

———

It was a new day, and the events of yesterday were almost completely forgotten. I sat at my desk, much like every other student in the room, listening to the teacher ramble on incessantly about trigonometry and other things that probably had something with maths. 

A shade darker.

My vision became unfocused, and the numbers that the teacher wrote on the dusty chalkboard came out as ineligible squiggles that couldn't even pass as numbers. I was drifting away, but I couldn't help it. In light of my situation, my eyes flickered around in search of something to focus on, my gaze stopped on the student sat next to me, who was paying very close attention to what was being taught, squinting through his glasses.

Keith. A sudden wave of guilt crashed over me, my vision clearing. Yesterday's events were no longer forgotten, and even though I had the strong inclination to look away from the other to rid myself of the empty feeling weighing me down, I just couldn't bring myself to do so. 

It was a terrible situation I had gotten myself into. 

I kept my eyes on Keith, discreetly. But the longer I looked, the more questions appeared in my head.

Why does his face look so pale? Is that a cut on his bottom lip? He didn't have a plaster on his left cheek yesterday, did he? Are those bruises on his wrists?

_Why do you care so much?_

Time stopped in that instant. Why _did_ I care so much? It was Keith, just a new student who would soon become accustomed to the ways of the school. And then he would just be like everyone else. 

No, there was no way Keith could ever be like everyone else. Something peculiar about Keith made him stand out, and not knowing what that was slowly killed me on the inside. 

The glasses slid down, and Keith pushed them back up the bridge of his nose with his clearly bruised knuckle, only to hiss slightly when doing so. He looked over to the window, and his eyes met with mine. A faded indigo against a dark, colourless hue.

Why did it have to be Keith? Why not some cute girl or someone? Anyone would be better than Keith.

What I didn't take in at that very moment, was that among everyone else's black eyes, only Keith's shone with vibrant colour.

———

As irritable as Keith's presence was, I couldn't help but look back at him as he stumbled around the school grounds all on his lonesome, as people avoided him. Although nothing could really be said; Keith treated everyone in the exact same way. Ignoring them and avoiding all human contact. Well, all human contact except me. Either Keith thought I was an alien or his... friend? No, there was no way that could possibly be true, not with the way I had been treating him. He always followed me around, as if he was some sort of lost, abandoned puppy. Theoretically speaking, you could say that. But then again, Keith wasn’t a dog. He was just… Keith. He was new, he had nothing at this school and if he continued on the way he was, that was how it was going to stay.

I just couldn't wrap my head around it. What was it that made him seem so mystifying and intriguing? Maybe it was the mullet-hairstyle; it really wasn't anything that you'd see everyday at the academy. But then again, if that was the case, then why was he treated as if he didn't exist?

_**Why do you care so much? _ ****_**_

_**_****_ ** _

There it was again, that overused phrase that had recently been popping up more than usual. Nowadays, it served to disrupt my train of thoughts, and bring me back to reality, whether I liked it or not. Good or bad thoughts, it didn't matter. Although I wasn't certain if spending the majority of my thoughts on Keith was good or bad.

_**_****_ ** _

Maybe it was both.

_**_****_ ** _

———

The times where I spent my lunch with Keith silently lurking around in the vicinity became way too frequent for my liking. With each passing day, my frustration levels heightened. Slowly, but surely.

_**_****_ ** _

It was during exam week when I finally snapped; that was the final straw. This had gone on for way too long. I really couldn't find any reason against my behaviour, I was already stressed from exams and my situation with Keith wasn't making it any better. Everything was just piling up on me, crushing every last breath out of me.

_**_****_ ** _

I was walking under the outdoor passageway from one grey school building to another, when I struck. With a snarl etched onto my face, I spun around on my heels. Unsurprisingly, Keith was there, trailing behind me silently with his head down, his faint violet eyes glued to the tiled pavement. Because of my abrupt stop, he had continued walking on… and had walked right into me. Before he could even process what had just happened, there was a quiet grunt of pain and a step taken back. A hand instantaneously flew up to check that nothing had broken, especially since Keith had crushed his face quite painfully against my chest.

_**_****_ ** _

Not that I cared though.

_**_****_ ** _

Taken aback, Keith looked up at me with those mesmerising lilac hues, expressing confusion, either at the loss of my movement or my facial expression. I can bet that he wasn’t expecting an anger-filled rant being thrown at him.

_**_****_ ** _

But sadly, that's exactly what he got. I had reached my wit’s end, and this was the result of it. Shouting at him to leave me alone and to stop following me around, Keith was stunned into silence. I don’t think he fully understood, as he watched my lips move rapidly with a strained expression. But from the look on my face and the little fractions of what I said sinking in slowly, he eventually got the message I was expressing, and as we shared a moment of silence, a guilt-ridden expression crept onto his pale face. That alone made my stomach sink, and my throat dried with no more words coming out. This wasn't what I wanted, but it did have the effect that I had hoped for. After the initial shock and flinching from my harsh words, Keith bowed as he mumbled a quiet apology, before dashing off in the other direction, the way that we had walked from. 

_**_****_ ** _

As if I had been shot at, a pang of guilt brought on by my inequities caused me to wince. How could I do that to him?

_**_****_ ** _

_**How could you?** _

On the verge of tears, I found Hunk and Pidge huddled in a corner by the vending machine, sat on the wooden bench murmuring quietly amongst themselves. As I approached, Hunk immediately stood up; he knew me too well, and he knew something was wrong. I explained to them both what I had done, and how much I resented myself for doing such a thing. I questioned why it was that Keith followed me around, what was so special about me? It had been more than a week, and with how much I ditched him, he probably knew the design of the school like the back of his hand. As Hunk remained silent, I wiped away the tears that were threatening to flow freely down my cheeks.

_**_****_ ** _

“You’re pretty dense, aren't you?” Katie chimed in after the long silence, save for my stifled hiccups. Pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose with two fingers, dhe folding her arms back over her chest.

_**_****_ ** _

“What do you mean? Just tell me what's going on.” I cried out as I bit back my sobs, giving Katie quite the serious look, to which she just sighed and relaxed her stiffened body.

_**_****_ ** _

“I think you should go see for yourself. It's not my place to say such things openly.” Katie paused, jerking her head back to indicate the direction of where she wanted me to go. “Back of the gymnasium.”

_**_****_ ** _

———

As I slowly approached the back, the sounds of a punching bag being used for it's purpose became audible. That set off some alarms in my head; the academy didn't allow the possession of such items on it’s premises. Worry clouding my thoughts, my pace changed quite drastically, starting from a slow walk to sprinting frantically, the sounds growing louder as the distance between me and the corner of the gymnasium closed at a slightly alarming rate. I had no idea what awaited me around that corner.

_**_****_ ** _

My heart raced at an abnormally fast rate, my body pressed flush against the wall. A deep breath.

_**_****_ ** _

_Suck it up Lance. ___

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

As I chanted a litany of that particular phrase in my head, I slowly peered around the corner, bracing myself. I froze in horror. A group of boys were crowded around a slumped figure; kicking, punching, anything that would inflict pain upon the beaten up individual and leave a bruise for certain. I wouldn't say that I was wrong about the concept of a punchbag; the victim that laid sprawled on the path was being used as an alternative replacement. Their dark, shoulder-length hair rested messily on the asphalt as the figure lay on their side, wincing lightly as they took another blow to the stomach. Blood gushed out of the fresh cuts on their bruised lips; whether they were inflicted on by the surly bullies or from the victim’s attempts at silencing their cries for help, I had no way of knowing. If only I had known. If only I had pressed on with my questions that were said to annoy people to their wits’ end.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

If only I had cared. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. It was as if every injury on the bullied victim would pain me in the exact same way. This was karma. With my eyes shut tightly as I waited for this all to be over, one particular voice bellowed some phrases that caught my attention.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"You're worthless, but you can't hear me, can you? I can insult you all I want, and you wouldn't even understand! You're just a dumb deaf kid!" As if those words were a key to a heavily locked door, I saw a completely different side to the unconscious figure.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

And I despised myself even more.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I should’ve figured it out ages ago... no, from the very beginning. It was so painfully obvious now that stabbing my liver with a fork would hurt less. All the signs were right there under my nose. But I didn’t put two and two together. I was too caught up in the dying flower to notice the weeds destroying the rest of the living flowers in the glass vase.

____

Soon after, the cruel students made their exit, leaving the tormented student where they lay, injured and unconscious. The relief of the bullied' dispersion washed over me like a bucket of cool water being thrown over my body that had been sweating relentlessly from my silent pursuit for answers. Sprinting over, I knelt down beside the motionless body, brushing the clump of onyx-black strands of hair out of their face. With a few inaudible groans, their eyelids fluttered open gently.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

A gentle violet met a stormy blue.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Judging from the other's reaction, they weren't fully responsive yet. Cowering as his eyelids were squeezed shut, Keith whimpered a quiet plea of surrender. It truly was a sorry sight. Faded lilac eyes shut tightly, pale crimson lips pressed together tightly, and stifled sobs trembling out of his shaking body. Yet he had remained silent throughout this entire thing.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Not saying a single word.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Taking the other's weakly outstretched hand that lay bruised on the ground, I held my warmth against Keith's contrastingly cold limbs. The warmth emanating from me seemed to give some reassurance to him, and slowly but surely, his closed eyes revealed the bright, sparkling purple hue that made my heart skip a beat for absolutely no reason.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Sat on the black wooden bench together, under the pale cherry blossoms, Keith willingly explained his situation to me; the fact that he was an orphan, and that he wasn't able to afford a hearing aid, therefore having to rely on lip-reading, which cleared my suspicions about why Keith always seemed fixated on a person's lips when they spoke. That left me with only one question.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Now aware of the other's disability, I pulled out a creased piece of paper I randomly found in my blazer pocket, and scribbled my question down, before sliding it across the bench to the other. A few moments passed as Keith read over the question, before scrawling down his answer, and sliding the slip of paper back to me.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

In small, neat handwriting, below my messily scrawled question-well, questions, were the words that made my eyes widen in shock.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

'Why didn't you tell anyone else? Why me?'

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

'I feel safer with you.'

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

A vibrant explosion burst into my sight, and suddenly, the whole world changed. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I was sat on a russet-brown wooden bench. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I was sat under a cherry blossom tree, the petals' colours ranging from dark pink to pure white. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I was staring into the mauve eyes of the most colourful person I had ever set eyes on.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

———

____

I could never let that happen ever again. Never, would I let someone suffer something like that again. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Yet I didn't understand. Why was Keith so forgiving, even after everything I did or didn't do? I purposely left him out, I avoided him, I abandoned him-hell, I did anything I could to play no part in Keith's shenanigans. If only I had asked, if only I had pressed a little further with my inquiries, if only... I was accepting of his existence. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

After that small interaction on the bench underneath the cherry blossoms, I found myself drawn to him over the passing months, not able to think for less than five seconds before he overrode my brain and my thoughts were solely just of Keith. I couldn't help myself; I had no control over myself anymore.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

If this is what they call falling in love, I dread to think how much falling out of love would hurt so much more.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

We grew closer, closer than I ever was with Pidge and Hunk. I even helped him pick out the colour of his new hearing aids that we pitched our money in for. Purple was the colour I chose, I thought that it described our relationship quite well; a combination of the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. Our time spent together mainly consisted of Keith teaching me sign language, sat in the warm, quiet coffee shop that was nearby the school. The welcoming aroma of an inviting cup of coffee always managed to lure us in, and before we knew it, we'd be sat in our usual spot, a table right beside the window, sipping away at large, pure white mugs of caffeine as we watched the world pass by. And like our friendship, my feelings for Keith developed into something much more stronger than just taking a liking to a person. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

The world always seemed so much brighter and full of colour whenever Keith was around, and when he wasn't with me, it was as if someone had just slid a black-and-white filter in front of my eyes, reducing the world to nothing more than just warped silhouettes of black, grey and white.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Humans are beings filled with greed; we want and we want more. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I wanted his love, I wanted him to understand why he was so perfect in my eyes, I wanted him to know how much was torn away from me whenever he left my side.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

But fear balances out greed.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Afraid of losing him and what we had, I couldn't even dream of him reciprocating my feelings, let alone confessing them to him. That fear is what had been holding me back for so long. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I was weak. Helpless. Vulnerable.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

As these one-sided feelings continued on, the realisation dawned upon me that the feelings I harboured might not be as one-sided as I had previously assumed it to be. Keith seemed so much more... aware of what he was like around me. How he acted around me. Like he was afraid of something. It got to the point where it was disrupting our interactions and, out of pure concern, I asked him what was wrong.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"I've fallen in love." I became heated at this; who on earth could have captured the heart of my life source? Who would do such a thing?

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

How could they?

____

"... With who?" I whispered quietly, or so I thought. Maybe it would have been described as yelling in a whisper to the students around me, who had caught whiff of the situation and began listening in. That didn't matter. What mattered was his response.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Judging by the expression on his face and his quiet remark, he was well aware of the several pairs of eyes staring down at us, prying for juicy gossip.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"You." That word alone set my heart ablaze, and an overwhelming feeling of relief washed over me. But I was not at rest. What was I supposed to do? Too much attention had been drawn to us, and now the entire hallway and it's occupants were looking our way. Piercing eyes, an abundance of them pointed in our direction; steely, judgemental gazes were fixed on the two of us. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"I knew Keith was gay, but Lance?"

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"That's disgusting, two guys can't be together!"

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"Lance wouldn't date a guy, he's all for the girls!"

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"Wow, I didn't think anybody was actually gay."

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"I bet it's just a phase and it'll all blow over soon."

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"So the rumours were true."

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

As the jeers and clamours that expressed everyone's distaste for such a relationship to exist within these grounds, I fell into a state of silence. This was a big decision.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

This feeling of abhorment was sickening; I had never felt such a negative atmosphere in such a place like the school. Why were people like this? Why were we like this? It seemed the concept of accepting others for who they were was too much for the feeble mind of mankind. But what if they were right? Of all people, how would I know how I truly felt about Keith? Maybe the guilt of my actions had overseen all of my other rational thoughts. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

A small voice inside of me was faintly calling out, desperate to be heard. It was my heart. My feelings for Keith still wouldn't change, no matter how much I told myself that it was just guilt. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

I was forcibly thrown back into reality, the crowd closing in on us. The colours were appearing quickly and vanishing just as fast as they pulsed within the rowdy mob.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

"Lance! Lance!" Repeating my name several times in a panicked voice, Keith shook me lightly, an icy grip on my shoulders. And everything stopped.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

What do I do?

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

———

____

I couldn't concentrate, not with that much attention piling up on top of us. I had so much I had to say. Swiftly taking Keith’s pale wrist, I pushed my way through the crowd, my grip on the other tightening with every second that passed. Having made our way out of the crowded hallway, Keith decided to chime in with his question.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

“Lance, where are we going?” I gave no response. I lead him to the large cherry blossom tree, it's pale petals littering the ground around the tree. Sitting down on the bench where we had first communicated in a way that both of us could understand to it's full extent, I kept my head low, still clasping Keith’s hand in between my hands. The silence only worsened my nerves. This was it. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

Keith had begun speaking, an expression of concern plastered on his face. But before he could get a single word out, I spoke.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

“Keith,” Swallowing a deep breath, I continued on. “I’m sorry. I have to do this.” He was a little caught off guard by my grim tone, shutting his eyes as he braced himself for the worst. I shuffled closer, taking another deep breath that was completely necessary. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

“So Keith, you lip-read, right?” Confused by the sudden change in my tone, Keith’s eyes opened again, his eyebrow arched in a questioning manner.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

“… Yeah? Well, I have my hearing aid now but I still lip-read…” Keith responded, tilting his head as he spoke. His words brought a smile to my face; it was all going to plan.

____

_**_****_ ** _

____

“Instead of reading these lips, why not try kissing these lips?” Another awkward silence before Keith filled in the emptiness with his laughter which was melodious to me. It was a cheesy thing to say, and I was fully aware of this. But I wanted Keith to know that despite our feelings and how people reacted to it, it would never stop us from having joy in our lives. It wasn't until after a while that Keith’s laughing fit ended, and only when that happened did he criticise my romance skills. 

____

_**_****_ ** _

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“Maybe I should teach you how to flirt in sign language, might be more effective than you opening your mouth.” At this, I gasped dramatically as if insulted, and hit them playfully on the arm, to which Keith only chuckled. Our eyes met, and the distance between us closed as we leaned in simultaneously. With a hand on my cheek, our lips met in a soft kiss. Passionate but gentle, and it didn't last as long as I wanted it to. But it was something. Maybe it was the fact that I no longer had to repress my feelings, but all of a sudden, it was as if the weight in my heart that had been dragging me down had been lifted, and a sense of exhilaration and relief replaced that weight.

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———

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Since that day, I was no longer respected in the academy, instead depicted as a person who would ‘infect everyone with the contagious disease that makes you gay’. It didn't bother me in the slightest; it was better that people whose mindsets were fixated on such statements stayed far away. Very. Far. Away. But I was happy. I was happier with one person more than I ever was with several popular people who probably gave less than a shit about me. 

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_**_****_ ** _

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A mug of steaming hot liquid in each hand, I made my way over to the table by the window, setting the drinks down gently on the smooth wooden surface. A gloved hand reached out for one of the cups, to which I slapped it away, tutting lightly.

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_**_****_ ** _

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“Hey hey, that one’s mine pretty boy. Yours is this one.” I slid the other their coffee, sitting myself down opposite them. Keith peered down at his coffee, before shooting me an accusative glance.

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_**_****_ ** _

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“Why do I get the milky coffee?” He whined, before taking a sip. My response was a mere chuckle as I also took a sip of my black coffee, a wry smile on my face.

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_**_****_ ** _

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“Because you're not manly enough for black coffee, aren't you, my _little-wittle Keithy-boy_?” I laughed as Keith looked away with a sour expression, mouthing the words ‘You’re so embarrassing’ quietly to himself. The stillness of the coffee shop was disrupted by a red car that zoomed right past the shop’s window, causing Keith to flinch back from the car’s sudden appearance, before quickly recovering and taking a sip . The world was quickly changing, yet together, I felt time ticking by slowly within the shop. 

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_**_****_ ** _

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I couldn’t have asked for a better person to spend eternity with, even if he annoyed me just as much as I annoyed him.

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**Author's Note:**

> feel free to roast me in the comments below, or give me constructive criticism !
> 
> i did this purposely so that y’all are wrecked by s7, and won’t notice how shitty this work is :)
> 
> this work was inspired by yukaliptus’ lovely artwork ! check it out: http://yuka-liptus.tumblr.com/post/157438456079


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